December closed a year of significant extreme weather events, with an interesting increase since the Solar Cycle 25 peak officially started in October.
To this point, Solar Cycle 25 with its 191.44 confirmed sunspots will break recent records of activity, even the one of 1954-1958 Solar Cycle 19 with 285 sunspots.
Interestingly enough, Solar Cycle 24, was one of the weakest solar cycles in the last century, with a peak sunspot number of 116.4. This is an unusual activity difference and has sparked interest and research within the scientific community. Some hypotheses suggest that this could be part of a longer-term solar cycle variation or an extended solar minimum with a few peaks before a stark decrease.
Zak Wheeler and Kylie Stevens Daily Mail Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:34 UTC
More than 120,000 homes across Sydney were without power after lighting strikes
A man has been killed as severe thunderstorms smashed large regions of NSW and Sydney, bringing the airport, public transport and sporting matches to an abrupt halt.
An unstable air mass combined with an upper trough produced wild weather across large parts of the state late Wednesday, leaving behind a trail of destruction in its wake.
Damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall smashed not only Sydney but also the Hunter, the Mid North Coast, Illawarra, Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains and Northern Tablelands districts.
Wind gusts exceeding 100km/h were reported at Sydney Airport, Kurnell, Scone, Murrurindi Gap, Tamworth, Merriwa, Dubbo, Mullion, Bombala, Trangie, Cowra, Walgett, Cabrumurra and Wagga Wagga.
The worst of the weather isn't over yet with severe thunderstorms and heavy rain forecast in some regions on Thursday.
More than 200,000 homes across Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong were without power late Wednesday night due to lightning strikes with energy providers scrambling to restore electricity services.
The NSW SES was inundated with more than 1,240 calls for help with more than a third of the requests in Sydney for fallen trees, leaks, and roofs blown off buildings.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, a man aged in his 80s was killed after a tree struck his car while driving in 107km/h winds in Cowra in central-west NSW.
Three skiers were killed in an avalanche in Italy's Piedmont region on Sunday.
Piedmont Alpine and Speleological Rescue said they responded to calls of an avalanche involving five mountaineers just after noon local time.
The avalanche happened on the peak of Punta Valgrande, a popular mountain in the Swiss Alps among experienced hikers and skiers, near the border of Italy and Switzerland.
Rescuers said the victims were dragged several hundred feet by the snow.
Medical teams arrived by helicopter and were able to rescue two skiers, but three others were found dead on the scene.
Meanwhile, in Adamello in the nearby Italian Alps, search operations for a missing climber were temporarily suspended due to worsening weather conditions, according to a report from Reuters.
Southeastern Europe is experiencing much lower than expected temperatures this week, bringing heavy snowfall and flooding risks.
Freezing temperatures and heavy snow have caused disruptions in several parts of southeastern Europe, ranging from transport issues to schools being forced to shut.
A storm system has brought strong winds, heavy rainfall, and snowfall in mountainous areas across parts of countries such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia.
More than 70 schools were closed in Albania on Monday after access to several villages was blocked by severe weather. Authorities have been clearing snow from roads and restoring traffic in the Balkan nation's northern and southeastern parts.
Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Italy have also issued alerts for heavy snow in recent days. In Bulgaria's Smolyan region, snow cover reached 40 centimetres on Monday.
Delon Porcalla, Bella Cariaso The Philippine Star Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:29 UTC
Kanlaon Volcano expels ash at 10:25 a.m. on January 8, 2025.
Amid the threat of another eruption, Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island twice emitted ash yesterday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
Phivolcs noted that ash emissions lasted 10 to 47 minutes, reaching as high as 500 meters with a west and west-southwest drift.
"This event generated grayish plumes that rose 500 meters above the crater before drifting west as recorded in the Mansalanao La Castellana station and Kanlaon Volcano Observatory in Canlaon City," the agency said.
Phivolcs measured the release of sulfur dioxide to be at 5,640 tons per day. Its observations centers recorded at least 22 volcanic earthquakes over a 24-hour period.
A jackal attack at Bighar village of Haryana's Fatehabad district has left 2 women with severe injures, intensifying fears about the growing number and aggression of these wild animals in the area. The attacked village women, Ritu and Sumitra, were moved to a hospital, while the jackal also injured two animals.
Ritu recounted how the attack occurred while she was preparing fodder for her livestock in the morning. The jackal targeted two nearby animals later and then entered a neighboring house, where it injured Sumitra's hands and mouth. Sumitra noted a noticeable increase in jackal sightings in recent years, attributing their growing aggression to the area's expanding animal population. She said: "Earlier, jackals were fewer and less aggressive, but now their numbers have grown, and they've started attacking people."
A dog attack has claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy, authorities with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
What we know:
The attack occurred just before 5 p.m. Monday evening in a neighborhood north of DeLand, near Arabesque Drive and Airport Road, according to deputies. Witnesses called 911 and performed CPR on the child, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Deputies and Volusia County Animal Services responded, capturing two dogs involved in the attack. Officials described one as a pit bull and the other as a mixed breed. Both animals have been confiscated and placed in quarantine.
West Australian wildlife authorities are investigating the deaths of at least three marine mammals found on a beach near Broome.
Three melon-headed whales were discovered lying on Mangalagun Crab Creek Beach, north-east of the tourist town, this morning by Broome resident Megan Spence, who regularly visits the area.
Her first thought was a shark or dolphin had washed ashore.
"It was very dark, almost black," Ms Spence said.
"Then I looked further up the beach and saw another one, then another 150 metres there was another.
A total of 10 melon-headed whales have now been found on a beach and in mangroves near Broome in Western Australia's far north, according to wildlife authorities.
The issue was first reported to Kimberley Parks and Wildlife Services on Monday after a local resident stumbled across three dead whales during her morning walk at Mangalagun Crab Creek Beach, north-east of the tourist town.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) confirmed a further seven were later found in mangroves and in creeks in the same area.
The DBCA said local Parks and Wildlife Service staff managed to remove seven of the mammals and dispose of them safely.
"Biological samples were taken from three of these carcasses for testing," a DBCA spokesperson said.
Three were unable to be removed and will be left to "decompose naturally".
Broome resident Thomas Howard was on a fishing trip with friends on Sunday — the afternoon before the whales were first reported.
He said he came across three of the mammals on the shoreline.
"I walked down a bit further, down into the creek, to go look for some crabs and whatnot, [and] I've seen a few more," he said.
"There was a few more stuck into the mouth, really into the mangroves."
John Badman The Telegraph Mon, 13 Jan 2025 12:35 UTC
A man in his early 50s died Friday after being attacked by a pit bull in a home in the first block of Lovejoy Lane in Alton.
Alton Police and firefighters were called to the home for a dog bite call just before 5 p.m. on Friday. Family members were waiting in the driveway, but the bite victim was still in the house with the dog. Alton firefighters waited for police to secure the scene.
Officers reportedly entered the home, and a gunshot was heard. After the shot was fired, police, firefighters and Alton Memorial Ambulance personnel tried valiantly to treat the man and called for a helicopter ambulance.
Despite their best efforts, the man succumbed to the bleeding and injuries to an arm. The Madison County Coroner's Office was called to the scene and the man was pronounced dead.
Taal Volcano in Batangas spewed a 900-meter plume late Friday night following a phreatic eruption, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.
The phreatic eruption from Taal Volcano Island's Main Crater, which occurred at 11:51 p.m., was accompanied by a volcanic tremor that lasted three minutes.
Phreatic eruptions are steam-driven explosions that occur when water beneath the ground or on the surface is heated by magma, lava, hot rocks, or new volcanic deposits, according to PHIVOLCS.
Alert Level 1 (Low-level unrest) prevails over the volcano.
Comment: Update January 14
The same source reports: